This is a gluten free take on classic Lebanese tabbouleh recipe (tabouli / tabouleh) that uses quinoa instead of bulgur wheat. It's light, refreshing, and healthy with fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, lemon, and parsley.
Tabbouleh generally has a lot of olive oil but I find that it weighs it down and makes for soggy leftovers. This version has half the olive oil, making it a bit healthier.
Tabouli is a versatile dish - add more parsley if you like. Chopped mint makes a nice addition but also loses it's vibrant color fast so add it right before eating. Green onions will also be good if you've got some of those in your refrigerator.
Cooking grains in teflon pots makes it easier not to burn the grains but on the flip side it makes it soggier and takes less water to grain ratio. If you find that you consistently have water left after the grain is cooked then try less liquid next time.
Don't skip out on cooling down the quinoa. If it's warm it will make the ingredients wilt and release water. Nobody wants soggy Tabouleh.
Serving Suggestion
Serve this Tabbouleh dish with complementary Mediterranean recipe, or pair it with easy roasted chicken thighs (a favorite in our house).
You May Also Like
If you like this dish, check out these Mediterranean inspired recipes:
Things In My Kitchen:
- Old School Juicer - my mama gave me one of these when I moved out decades ago. Still use it.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Gluten Free Quinoa Tabbouleh
EatSimpleFood.com
This gluten free take on classic Lebanese tabbouleh recipe (tabouli / tabouleh) uses quinoa instead of bulgur wheat. It's light, refreshing, and healthy with fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, lemon, and parsley.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 6 1x
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
- ¾ cup quinoa
- 1 large cucumber, seeded
- 1 ½ cups cherry tomatoes, quartered or halved
- 1 ½ cups parsley, chopped fine
- ½ cup red onion, diced
- zest from one lemon
- ¼ cup (~ 1-2 lemons) lemon juice, divided
- 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Bring 1 ¼ cup water, 2 tablespoon lemon juice, and 1 tablespoon olive oil, ¼ teaspoon salt to a boil in a medium pan. Add quinoa, reduce heat, and simmer covered ~ 15-18 minutes or until water is absorbed.
- Lay cooked quinoa on a plate and put in the refrigerator to cool down. You want the quinoa cold or room temperature before adding remaining ingredients.
- Add cooled and cooked quinoa, ¼ teaspoon salt, 2 tablespoon lemon juice, and remaining ingredients to a large bowl. Mix and add sea salt, lemon juice, and olive to taste. Happy Eating! Beckie
Notes
- Cooking grains in teflon pots makes it easier not to burn the grains but on the flip side it makes it soggier and takes less water to grain ratio. If you find that you consistently have water left after the grain is cooked then try less liquid next time.
- Don't skip out on cooling down the quinoa. If it's warm it will make the ingredients wilt and release water.
Leave a Comment